Awareness about symptoms of lung cancer is the most important step to diagnose caner at an early stage and cure it.Most lung cancers do not develop any symptoms until they have spread, but some people with early lung cancer do have some symptoms. If you go to your doctor when you first notice symptoms, your cancer might be identified at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be efficient.
Many of these symptoms are also likely to be caused by things other than lung cancer. However, if you have any of these problems, it’s essential to see your doctor right away so the cause can be discovered and cured, if necessary.
Here are the most common symptoms of lung cancer:
- A cough that does not disappear or gets worse
- Coughing up rust-colored sputum or blood
- Chest pain that is often worse with coughing, laughing, or deep breathing
- Hoarseness
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Rapidity of breathing
- Feeling weak or tired
- Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don’t fade away or keep coming back
- wheezing
If lung cancer spreads and goes to other parts of the body (metastasis), it may trigger:
- Bone pain (like pain in the hips or back)
- Nervous system changes (such as headache, numbness or weakness of an arm or leg, seizures, balance problems, or dizziness), from cancer metastasis to the brain
- Yellowing of the eyes and skin, from cancer metastasis to the liver
- Inflating of lymph nodes (collection of immune system cells) like those in the neck or above the collarbone
Some lung cancers can develop syndromes, which are groups of certain symptoms.
What is Pancoast tumors?
Pancoast tumors are what the Cancers of the upper part of the lungs are called. These tumors are more possible to be non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) than small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Pancoast tumors can influence certain nerves in the eyes and part of the face, causing a group of symptoms (syndrome) called Horner syndrome:
- Weakness or drooping of one upper eyelid
- A smaller pupil in the same eye
- Not much or no sweating at all on the same side of the face
Pancoast tumors can moreover cause severe shoulder pain.
disclaimer
Don’t forget that you should always seek the guidance of your practitioner or other qualified health professional with any questions you might have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never forget about the advice of a medical professional, or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this or any other Website.